Summer Nights in Hillside is a very interesting event to attend. With the best combination of food, music, and entertainment.

When you get to the concert you are greeted with numerous police officers, soldiers and other members of the U.S. armed forces. The police officers are for safety, and the army soldiers are there for promotional purposes. After you leave the parking area you see multiple booths in the marketplace area followed by the gigantic stage where the band plays. The booths for food are on the other side of the stage, and the car show is towards the back area. They also have booths dedicated to COVID-19 testing. Summer Nights in Hillside occurs every Tuesday night until August 31 in the Hillside Commons.

There were more than 300 people at the concert on July 27, sitting on the grass, in their chairs, and on the benches. There was plenty of space for everyone to be socially distanced. It’s a fun event for both kids and adults to enjoy. No matter how far you were from the food you are.

The Market Place

The Market Place was a nice interactive store that offered different handmade items, such as jewelry, clothing, and accessories. Everyone was nice and genuinely excited to sell their products.

The Car Show 

The car show was the best part of Summer Nights. From Cadillacs to BMWs, the show had it all. There were about eight rows of cars filled left from right. The cars were absolutely gorgeous and impressive. The show definitely brings you back in time seeing as half of the cars were 1960 editions.

The Food

The food was impeccable. Numerous restaurants were there, offering everything from doughnuts to chicken. Anything and everything you would want or crave was there. The mini-doughnuts were excellent, but Rickett’s Chicken stole the show. By far the best fried chicken you will ever eat. The workers were extremely friendly and made you feel like you were part of their family. You can find them in Hillside Bowling Alley or on Doordash.

The Music

The band American English arrived at 7:30 to begin their show; they are a tribute band to the Beatles and wore wigs and tuxedos to match the original Beatles band. They played plenty of classic songs, sounded lovely and stayed in tune.

For more information, please go to the link hillside-il.org/event/summer-nights-in-hillside/

• Playing August 3rd, the Hillbilly Rockstarz. Chicago’s own country rock band that rocks out the latest hits in country music from Miranda Lambert, Blake Shelton, Garth Brooks, and Luke Bryan while mixing in favorites from legends like Johnny Cash, and Patsy Cline.
• Playing August 10th The Magic Mototown. The band celebrates over 50 years of classic motown music. The Magic Mototown celebrates classic artists such as Temptations, The Supremes, The Four Tops and soul artists like Aretha Franklin, James Brown, Otis Redding and Marvin Gaye in their nationally renowned show.
• Playing August 17th Heaven. The famous Chicago rock band that’s famous for “30 songs in 30 minutes” of songs from the 70s and 80s. 7th Heaven has been in the business for over 30 years.
• Playing August 24th The Shagadelics. The hit throwback band that brings the 70s and 80s funky music back by dressing the part of their music.
• Playing August 31st The Buckinghams. The American Sunshine pop band has been playing music for over 40 years now. Their hit song “Kind of a Drag,” has become the Chicago signature song.